JP7333747B2 - Strut structure and elevating fixtures - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a support structure and an elevating fixture.

In various facilities such as offices, schools, and public facilities, elevating fixtures are sometimes used. This type of elevating furniture includes a support structure that can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction, and an article placement section (e.g., top plate, etc.) that is attached to the upper end of the support structure and on which an article is placed. . The column structure includes a cylindrical outer column and an inner column inserted into the outer column and provided with an article placement portion at the upper end. According to this configuration, the height of the article placement section can be adjusted by moving the inner column relative to the outer column in the vertical direction by means of an elevating mechanism such as a gas spring.

Here, for example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses a configuration including a peripheral wall member that is interposed between an outer column and an inner column and guides relative movement between the outer column and the inner column. The peripheral wall member holds balls rolling between the outer and inner pillars, and includes ball receiving plates spaced around the inner pillars, and connecting plates for connecting the ball receiving plates. ing.

Japanese Patent No. 4732891

By the way, in the pillar structure, there is a possibility that the positions of the outer pillar and the inner pillar may be displaced in the circumferential direction due to the manufacturing error of each member, the assembly error of each member, or the like. In this case, the frictional resistance acting between the outer column and the inner column via the ball increases, which may hinder the smooth relative movement of the outer column and the inner column.
In addition, in the prior art, since the adjacent ball receiving plates are connected by the connecting plate, there is still room for improvement in terms of reducing the number of parts, simplifying the structure, and improving the ease of assembly. Ta.

The present invention reduces the number of parts, simplifies the structure, and improves assembly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pillar structure and an elevating fixture capable of relatively moving an inner pillar smoothly.

In order to achieve the above object, a support structure according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cylindrical outer post, and an inner post inserted into the outer post so as to be vertically movable relative to the outer post. and a guide mechanism interposed between the outer column and the inner column for guiding relative movement between the outer column and the inner column, wherein the guide mechanism is provided between the outer column and the inner column. Among them, it is formed in the first member and arranged in a housing portion that opens toward the second member, and the second member is provided via a supported portion formed on a surface of the second member facing the first member. a first support portion that supports the two members so as to be movable in the vertical direction; and a biasing member that biases the first support portion in the circumferential direction.

According to this aspect, when the outer column and the inner column are out of alignment in the circumferential direction, the first supporting portion is pressed in the circumferential direction through the inner surface of the accommodating portion and the supported portion, The biasing member elastically deforms in the circumferential direction. As a result, the first support portion is displaced in the circumferential direction. As a result, even if the outer column and the inner column are displaced in the circumferential direction, it is possible to suppress the local application of the load to the receiving portion and the supported portion via the first supporting portion. can. As a result, the positional accuracy of the first support portion in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer column and the inner column can be improved, and the outer column and the inner column can be smoothly moved relative to each other.
In particular, according to this aspect, by interposing the biasing member between the inner side surface of the accommodating portion formed in the first member and the first supporting portion, the guide mechanism can be held within the accommodating portion. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, simplify the structure, and improve the ease of assembly, compared to the conventional structure in which the ball receiving plate and the connecting plate are combined to surround the inner column.

In the strut structure of the aspect described above, the first support portion is a ball configured to be able to roll along with the relative movement of the outer column and the inner column, and the guide mechanism is accommodated in the accommodation portion. and a base portion formed with recesses for separately supporting the plurality of first support portions in a rollable manner, wherein the biasing member biases the first support portions via the base portion. good too.
According to this aspect, since the plurality of first support portions are arranged inside the accommodation portion via the holding member, it is possible to improve the assemblability compared to the case where the first support portions are individually arranged inside the accommodation portion. can.

In the strut structure of the aspect described above, the biasing member may be formed integrally with the base portion and protrude from the base portion in the circumferential direction.
According to this aspect, compared with the case where the biasing member and the base portion are separated, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and improve the ease of assembly.

In the strut structure of the aspect described above, the base portion has a regulating member positioned on an opening edge of the housing portion facing one direction in the vertical direction and regulating movement of the base portion in the other direction in the vertical direction with respect to the first member. A part may be formed.
According to this aspect, it is possible to restrict the holding member from moving to the other side, for example, when the second member moves to the other side with respect to the first member. Thereby, regardless of the position of the second member, the holding member can be stably held at a desired vertical position on the first member. As a result, it becomes easier to stably support the second member via the holding member.

In the strut structure of the aspect described above, the biasing member may be supported on the inner surface so as to be slidable in a radial direction that intersects the axis in a plan view.
According to this aspect, when the radial interval between the outer column and the inner column is narrower than a desired interval, the first supporting portion is pushed radially outward through the accommodating portion and the supported portion. This causes the biasing member to slide on the inner surface. As a result, even if the outer and inner columns are radially displaced from each other, it is possible to prevent the load from being locally applied to the receiving portion and the supported portion via the first supporting portion. can.

In the strut structure of the above aspect, the width of the inner side surface in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion may gradually decrease toward both sides from a center portion in a radial direction that intersects the axis in a plan view.
According to this aspect, the biasing member is easily held at the radially central portion of the inner surface. This makes it easier to position the first support portion in the radial direction with respect to the first member.

In the strut structure of the aspect described above, the guide mechanism may include a second support portion provided on the second member and supporting the first member so as to be vertically movable.
According to this aspect, the first supporting portion is provided on the first member to support the second member, and the second supporting portion is provided on the second member to support the first member. As a result, both ends in the vertical direction of the portion of the inner column located inside the outer column are always supported by the support portions. As a result, the inner column is stably supported not only when the inner column is at the highest position but also when the inner column is at the lowest position.

A liftable furniture according to an aspect of the present invention includes the support structure according to any one of the above items, and a load support portion provided at the upper end portion of the inner post and having an upper surface serving as a load support surface.
According to this aspect, since the support structure according to the above aspect is provided, it is possible to improve the stability during lifting and improve the marketability.

According to each aspect described above, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the first support portion in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer column and the inner column, and to smoothly move the outer column and the inner column relative to each other.

1 is a perspective view of an elevating fixture according to an embodiment; FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of a support structure concerning an embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line III-III of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line IV-IV of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the VV line in FIG. 2; 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3; FIG. It is a perspective view of the 1st holding member which concerns on embodiment.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the embodiments and modifications described below, the same reference numerals may be assigned to corresponding configurations, and descriptions thereof may be omitted. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements such as "parallel", "perpendicular", "center", "coaxial", etc. not only strictly represent such arrangements, but also , or a state of relative displacement at an angle or distance that provides the same function.

[Elevating fixture 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liftable fixture 1. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the elevating furniture 1 is a so-called cart device. The elevating furniture 1 includes a lower structure 2 and a top plate (load supporting portion) 3 . The elevating furniture 1 is configured to be able to travel on the floor surface F of various facilities and to be able to adjust the height of the top plate 3 . Note that the front, rear, up, down, left, and right directions in the following description are the same as the directions in the lifting fixture 1 unless otherwise specified. In this case, the arrow FR in the drawing indicates the front of the liftable furniture 1, the arrow UP indicates the upper direction of the liftable furniture 1, and the arrow LH indicates the left of the liftable furniture 1.

<Lower structure 2>
The lower structure 2 comprises a leg 10 and a support structure 11 .
The leg 10 is formed in an H shape in plan view. Specifically, the leg 10 includes a leg base 13 , a front leg 14 and a rear leg 15 .
The leg base 13 extends along the left-right direction.

The front legs 14 protrude forward from both lateral end portions of the leg base portion 13 .
The rear legs 15 protrude rearward from both lateral end portions of the leg base portion 13 . Casters 17 are attached to the distal ends of the front legs 14 and the rear legs 15, respectively. The elevating furniture 1 runs on the floor surface F by rolling the casters 17 . The plan view shape of the leg 10 is not limited to the H shape, and may be appropriately changed to a ring shape, a rectangular shape, a radial shape (multiple legs), or the like.

The support structure 11 is configured to be vertically extendable. Specifically, the support structure 11 has a configuration in which an inner column (second member) 22 is supported inside a cylindrical outer column (first member) 21 so as to be movable along an axis O1 extending in the vertical direction. be.
The lower end of the outer pillar 21 is fixed to the center of the leg base 13 in the left-right direction.
The inner column 22 is configured to be vertically movable with respect to the outer column 21 by means of the outer column 21 and an elevating mechanism (such as a gas spring) disposed inside the inner column 22 . Details of the support structure 11 will be described later.

<Top plate 3>
The top plate 3 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view with the front-rear direction as the short side and the left-right direction as the long side. The upper surface of the top plate 3 functions as a load bearing surface when a user performs work or when an article is placed. The lower surface of the top plate 3 is fixed to the upper end of the inner post 22 . Therefore, the top plate 3 is configured such that the height from the floor surface F can be adjusted as the support structure 11 expands and contracts. An operation lever 24 is provided below the top plate 3 to control the extension and retraction of the lifting mechanism. Further, the planar shape of the top plate 3 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be a polygonal shape such as a square shape, a circular shape, or the like.

<Strut structure 11>
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the support structure 11. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line IV-IV in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the column structure 11 includes the outer column 21, the inner column 22, and the guide mechanism 30 described above.

<Outer pillar 21>
The outer column 21 includes a column body 31 and a column cap 32. - 特許庁
The column body 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape by, for example, extrusion molding. Therefore, the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the column body 31 is uniform over the entire length. The pillar body 31 is fitted into a mounting recess 33 (see FIG. 1) formed in the leg base 13 . Note that the outer shape of the column body 31 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be appropriately changed to a square shape or the like.

The pillar body 31 is formed with a mounting groove 35 and a housing portion 36 that penetrate the pillar body 31 in the vertical direction.
The mounting groove 35 is circular in plan view. The mounting groove 35 is open on the inner peripheral surface of the column body 31 . In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) mounting grooves 35 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis O1. A female screw portion is formed at least at the lower end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting groove 35 . As shown in FIG. 1, the column main body 31 is fitted in the mounting recess 33, and screws (not shown) are screwed into the mounting groove 35 through the bottom of the mounting recess 33, whereby the leg body Fixed at 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the housing portion 36 opens on the inner peripheral surface of the column body 31 at a portion located between the mounting grooves 35 adjacent in the circumferential direction. The housing portion 36 is formed in a dovetail groove shape in plan view. Specifically, the bottom surface 41 of the housing portion 36 is a flat surface extending parallel to the tangential line of the outer peripheral surface of the column body 31 in plan view. However, the bottom surface 41 of the housing portion 36 is not limited to a flat surface.

An inner side surface 42 (a surface facing the circumferential direction) of the housing portion 36 extends inward in a direction orthogonal to the axis O1 in plan view (hereinafter referred to as a radial direction) from both circumferential ends of the bottom surface 41 . there is The pair of inner side surfaces 42 face each other in the circumferential direction. Each inner surface 42 has an enlarged portion 44 and a reduced portion 45 .
The enlarged portion 44 is an inclined surface that extends outward in the circumferential direction (in the direction in which the inner side surfaces 42 are separated from each other) as it goes radially inward from both circumferential ends of the bottom surface 41 (surface facing the radial direction). is formed in
The reduced portion 45 is formed on an inclined surface extending inward in the circumferential direction (the direction in which the inner side surfaces 42 approach each other) as it goes radially inward from the radially inner edge of the enlarged portion 44 . . Therefore, the circumferential width of the accommodating portion 36 gradually increases radially inward, and then gradually decreases radially inward. Note that the circumferential width of the accommodating portion 36 may be uniform over the entire radial direction.

A ball receiving recess 48 is formed in the bottom surface 41 of the housing portion 36 . The ball receiving recessed portion 48 is formed in a V shape in which the width in the circumferential direction gradually widens toward the inner side in the radial direction in a plan view. The ball receiving recess 48 is open on the bottom surface 41 .

Note that the width of the accommodating portion 36 may be uniform over the entire radial direction. Also, the mounting groove 35 and the housing portion 36 do not have to penetrate the column body 31 in the vertical direction. In other words, the mounting grooves 35 need only be formed at least at the upper and lower ends of the column body 31 , and the housing portions 36 need only be formed at least at the upper part of the column body 31 . Also, the mounting groove 35 does not have to open radially inward. Furthermore, the ball receiving recess 48 is not limited to the V shape, and may be arc-shaped or the like.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line VV of FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the column cap 32 is attached to the upper end portion of the column body 31 with the inner column 22 inserted therethrough. Specifically, the post cap 32 includes an exterior ring 50 and fitting legs 51 .
The exterior ring 50 is arranged coaxially with the axis O1. The exterior ring 50 covers at least the upper end surface of the pillar body 31 , the upper end opening of the mounting groove 35 , and the upper end opening of the housing portion 36 when attached to the pillar body 31 .

A positioning protrusion 52 (see FIG. 2) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the exterior ring 50 and protrudes radially inward. The positioning protrusion 52 is formed in a triangular shape in a plan view such that the width in the circumferential direction gradually decreases toward the inner side in the radial direction. A plurality of (for example, four) positioning protrusions 52 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the positioning protrusion 52 is formed at the same circumferential position as the ball receiving recess 48 described above.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 , in the exterior ring 50 , a downwardly protruding restricting projection 53 is formed at a position overlapping the upper end opening of the accommodating portion 36 in plan view. The restricting protrusion 53 is formed in a circular shape in plan view. The lower end of the restricting protrusion 53 is located above the lower end of the exterior ring 50 . Note that the restricting protrusion 53 may be formed only partially at a position overlapping at least the accommodating portion 36 in a plan view. That is, the restricting protrusions 53 are not limited to being formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

The fitting leg 51 protrudes downward from the exterior ring 50 . The fitting leg 51 is formed in, for example, an X shape in plan view. The fitting leg 51 is formed at the same circumferential position as the mounting groove 35 described above. The fitting legs 51 are individually fitted into the mounting grooves 35 . Thereby, the column cap 32 is attached to the upper end portion of the column body 31 . It should be noted that the mounting method of the column cap 32 to the column main body 31 can be changed as appropriate, such as screwing, adhesion, etc., other than fitting.

<inner pillar 22>
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner post 22 is formed into a rectangular tubular shape by extrusion molding or the like. Therefore, the cross section of the inner column 22 perpendicular to the vertical direction is uniform over the entire length. In addition, the inner surface shape of the inner column 22 is circular in plan view. However, the outer shape and inner surface shape of the inner column 22 can be changed as appropriate.

A mounting groove 55 is formed in the inner post 22 so as to penetrate the inner post 22 in the vertical direction. The mounting groove 55 is circular in plan view. The mounting groove 55 is open on the inner peripheral surface of the inner post 22 . In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) mounting grooves 55 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. A female screw portion is formed at least at the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting groove 55 . The top plate 3 is fixed to the upper end of the inner post 22 via a top plate bracket (not shown). The top plate bracket is fastened to the inner post 22 by screwing screws into the mounting grooves 55 .

A ball receiving concave portion (supported portion) 60 is formed at an outer corner portion of the inner post 22 . The ball receiving concave portion 60 is formed in a triangular shape in which the width in the circumferential direction gradually decreases toward the inner side in the radial direction in a plan view. The inner post 22 is inserted into the post main body 31 with the ball receiving recess 60 and the ball receiving recess 48 of the outer post 21 facing each other in the radial direction.

<Guide mechanism 30>
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 , the guide mechanism 30 is interposed between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 and supports the inner column 22 vertically movably with respect to the outer column 21 . The guide mechanism 30 includes a first holding member (holding member) 70, a first ball (first support portion) 71, a second holding member 72, and a second ball (second support portion) 73. there is

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first holding member 70. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first holding members 70 are separately mounted inside the housing portion 36 . That is, the first holding members 70 are provided inside the column body 31 at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the following description, one first holding member 70 will be described as an example.

The first holding member 70 includes a base portion 80 , a biasing member 81 and a restricting portion 82 .
The base portion 80 is formed in a plate shape whose thickness direction is the radial direction. The base portion 80 is inserted into the housing portion 36 from above the column body 31 . As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 80 is formed with an escape portion 85 that is recessed radially inward. The relief portion 85 is formed in a trapezoidal shape whose width in the circumferential direction gradually decreases toward the radially outer side.

A holding hole (recess) 83 is formed in the base portion 80 so as to penetrate the base portion 80 in the radial direction (thickness direction). The holding hole 83 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the side in the radial direction. The inner diameter of the holding hole 83 is tapered while curving toward the inner side in the radial direction. However, the inner diameter of the holding hole 83 may be uniform over the entire radial direction. Moreover, the holding hole 83 may be open at least radially inward. A locking projection 84 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding hole 83 . The locking protrusions 84 are alternately arranged at the respective opening edges of the holding hole 83 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the holding hole 83 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the biasing members 81 are provided at both circumferential ends of the upper end and lower end of the base portion 80, respectively. The biasing member 81 of this embodiment is formed integrally with the base portion 80 . Each biasing member 81 is formed in an arch shape that bulges outward in the circumferential direction (direction away from the base portion 80) in a side view. Specifically, the biasing member 81 is integrally connected to the base portion 80 at both ends in the vertical direction, and is gradually separated from the base portion 80 toward the center portion in the vertical direction. The vertical central portion of the biasing member 81 extends linearly along the vertical direction.

The radial thickness of the biasing member 81 decreases with increasing distance from the base portion 80 in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, of the biasing members 81, the biasing members 81 facing each other in the circumferential direction are paired at the same position in the vertical direction. The biasing member 81 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction of moving the gap between the biasing member 81 and the base portion 80 toward or away from the base portion 80 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the restricting portion 82 protrudes from the upper edge of the base portion 80 radially outward and on both sides in the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral edge of the restricting portion 82 is formed in an arc shape following the outer peripheral edge of the column main body 31 . Note that the restricting portion 82 may protrude from a part of the upper edge of the base portion 80 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the first balls 71 are accommodated individually in the above-described holding holes 83 from the outside in the radial direction. The maximum diameter of the first ball 71 is slightly smaller than the maximum inner diameter (diametrically outer opening edge) of the holding hole 83 and larger than the minimum inner diameter (diametrical inner opening edge) of the holding hole 83 . Further, the outer peripheral surface of the first ball 71 is engaged with the above-described engaging projections 84 in the holding hole 83 from both sides in the radial direction. As a result, the first ball 71 is rotatably supported in the holding hole 83 while being prevented from falling out of the holding hole 83 . Note that the base portion 80 may be configured without the locking protrusion 84 .

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7, the first holding member 70 is arranged in each holding portion 36 above the column main body 31 in a state in which the first ball 71 is accommodated in each holding hole 83. is mated from At this time, the downward movement of the first holding member 70 with respect to the column body 31 is restricted by the restricting portion 82 approaching or contacting the upper end surface of the column body 31 from above. In addition, since the restricting portion 82 is covered with the exterior ring 50 described above from above, the restricting protrusion 53 approaches or contacts the restricting portion 82 from above. This restricts the upward movement of the first holding member 70 with respect to the column body 31 .

The base portion 80 is housed in the housing portion 36 while being biased toward the inner side in the circumferential direction (direction toward the center of the housing portion 36 ) by the biasing member 81 . Specifically, the biasing member 81 has its vertical central portion in contact with the boundary portion (top portion) between the enlarged portion 44 and the reduced portion 45 on the inner side surface 42 of the accommodating portion 36 .

The first holding member 70 supports the first ball 71 rollably between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 while being supported by the outer column 21 . That is, when the inner post 22 moves up and down with respect to the outer post 21, the first ball 71 contacts the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48, 60, so that the first balls 71 roll in the ball receiving recesses 48, 60. .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the second holding member 72 is attached to the lower end of the inner post 22 . The second holding member 72 includes a base ring 91 , fitting legs 92 and standing pieces 93 .
The base ring 91 is formed in a plate shape having the same shape as the inner column 22 in plan view. The base ring 91 covers the lower end surface of the inner column 22 from below.

The fitting leg 92 protrudes upward from a position of the base ring 91 overlapping the mounting groove 55 in plan view. The fitting leg 92 is formed in, for example, an X shape in plan view. The fitting legs 92 are individually fitted into the mounting grooves 55 . Thereby, the second holding member 72 is attached to the lower end portion of the inner post 22 .

The upright pieces 93 extend upward from the same circumferential positions as the ball receiving recesses 60 on the outer peripheral edge of the base ring 91 . Each standing piece 93 is radially opposed to the ball receiving recess 60 at the lower end of the inner post 22 . A holding hole 95 is formed in the standing piece 93 so as to penetrate the standing piece 93 in the radial direction (thickness direction). The holding hole 95 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the side. A locking projection 96 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding hole 95 . The locking protrusions 96 are alternately arranged at the respective opening edges of the holding hole 95 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the holding hole 95 .

The second balls 73 are individually accommodated in the holding holes 95 described above. The outer peripheral surface of the second ball 73 is locked by the above-described locking projections 96 in the holding hole 95 from both sides in the radial direction. As a result, the second ball 73 is rotatably supported in the holding hole 95 while being prevented from falling out of the holding hole 95 .

The second holding member 72 rotatably supports the second ball 73 between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 while being supported by the inner column 22 . That is, when the inner post 22 moves up and down with respect to the outer post 21, the second ball 73 contacts the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48, 60, causing the second balls 71 to roll within the ball receiving recesses 48, 60. .

<How to assemble the support structure 11>
An example of a method of assembling the support structure 11 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 2, the second holding member 72 is attached to the inner post 22 . Specifically, the fitting leg 92 is fitted into the mounting groove 55 from below while the second ball 73 is accommodated in the holding hole 95 . Subsequently, the inner column 22 is inserted into the column body 31 . At this time, the inner pillar 22 is inserted into the pillar body 31 in a state in which the ball bearing recesses 48 and 60 of the pillar body 31 and the inner pillar 22 are aligned so as to face each other in the radial direction. As a result, the second balls 73 are interposed between the column main body 31 and the inner column 22 while being accommodated in the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 .

Next, the first holding member 70 is attached to the outer column 21 . Specifically, the first holding member 70 is inserted into the accommodating portion 36 from above while the first ball 71 is accommodated in the holding hole 83 . At this time, the first holding member 70 is inserted until the restricting portion 82 hits the upper end surface of the outer column 21 . Thereby, the first ball 71 is interposed between the column main body 31 and the inner column 22 while being housed in the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 .

After that, the inner column 22 is inserted into the column cap 32 and the column cap 32 is attached to the outer column 21 . Specifically, the inner post 22 is inserted into the support cap 32 while the ball receiving recess 48 and the positioning projection 52 are aligned in the circumferential direction. At this time, the fitting leg 51 is fitted into the mounting groove 35 and the inner column 22 is inserted into the column cap 32 until the lower edge of the exterior ring 50 hits the upper end surface of the column body 31 .
As described above, the support structure 11 is assembled.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the first holding member 70 is assembled to the housing portion 36, depending on manufacturing errors and assembly errors of the column main body 31 and the inner column 22, the ball receiving recess 48 may , 60 may be misaligned from each other in the circumferential direction. In this case, the biasing member 81 is elastically deformed in the circumferential direction by pressing the first ball 71 in the circumferential direction through the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 . As a result, the first ball 71 is displaced in the housing portion 36 along with the first holding member 70 in the circumferential direction. As a result, even if the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 are circumferentially displaced from each other, the load is applied locally to the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 via the first ball 71. can be suppressed.

Further, when the radial distance between the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 is narrower than the desired distance, the first ball 71 is pushed radially outward through the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60. , the biasing member 81 slides on the enlarged portion 44 . Since the width of the enlarged portion 44 in the circumferential direction becomes narrower toward the outer side in the radial direction, the biasing member 81 is elastically deformed toward the inner side in the circumferential direction, and the first holding member 70 and the first ball 71 move toward each other. It is displaced radially inward. As a result, even if the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 are radially displaced from each other, a load is applied locally to the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 via the first ball 71. can be suppressed.

<How to operate the lifting fixture 1>
In the elevating furniture 1 of the present embodiment, the operation lever 24 is operated so that the inner pillar 22 is lifted with respect to the outer pillar 21 by the operation of the elevating mechanism. On the other hand, by pushing the inner post 22 downward through the top plate 3 while the operating lever 24 is being operated, the inner post 22 moves downward with respect to the outer post 21 . Thereby, the top plate 3 is adjusted to a desired height position. In addition, the stroke of the inner column 22 is defined by, for example, an elevating mechanism.

As the casters 17 roll on the floor surface F, the elevating furniture 1 can travel on the floor surface F with articles placed on the top plate 3, for example.

Here, in the present embodiment, the balls 71 and 73 roll in the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 when the inner post 22 is raised and lowered, thereby guiding the smooth elevation of the inner post 22 . In particular, in this embodiment, the first holding member 70 is attached to the upper end of the outer column 21 and the second holding member 72 is attached to the lower end of the inner column 22 . As a result, both ends in the vertical direction of the portion of the inner column 22 located inside the outer column 21 are always supported by the balls 71 and 73 . As a result, the inner pillar 22 is stably supported not only when the inner pillar 22 is at the uppermost position but also when the inner pillar 22 is at the lowermost position.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the guide mechanism 30 is arranged in the housing portion 36, and the first ball that supports the inner post 22 via the ball receiving recess 60 of the inner post 22 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. and an urging member 81 interposed between the inner surface 42 of the accommodating portion 36 and the first ball 71 and urging the first ball 71 in the circumferential direction.
According to this configuration, when the column main body 31 and the inner column 22 are out of alignment in the circumferential direction, the first ball 71 is pressed in the circumferential direction through the inner surfaces of the ball bearing recesses 48 and 60. , the biasing member 81 is elastically deformed in the circumferential direction. As a result, the first ball 71 is displaced in the circumferential direction. As a result, even if the column body 31 and the inner column 22 are displaced from each other in the circumferential direction, the load is applied locally to the inner surfaces of the ball receiving recesses 48 and 60 via the first balls 71. can be suppressed. As a result, the positional accuracy of the first ball 71 in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 can be improved, and the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 can be smoothly moved relative to each other.
In particular, according to this aspect, the guide mechanism 30 is held within the housing portion 36 by interposing the biasing member 81 between the inner surface of the housing portion 36 formed in the outer column 21 and the first ball 71. can. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, simplify the structure, and improve the ease of assembly, compared to the conventional structure in which the ball receiving plate and the connecting plate are combined to surround the inner column.

In the present embodiment, the first holding member 70 is formed with the ball receiving recesses 48 that support the first balls 71 separately so as to be able to roll.
According to this configuration, since the first balls 71 are arranged in the accommodating portion 36 via the first holding member 70, the assembly is easier than in the case where the first balls 71 are individually arranged in the accommodating portion 36. can be improved.

In this embodiment, the biasing member 81 is integrally formed with the base portion 80 .
According to this configuration, compared to the case where the biasing member 81 and the base portion 80 are separated from each other, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and improve the ease of assembly.

In the present embodiment, the configuration includes a restricting portion 82 that protrudes from the upper edge of the base portion 80 and is positioned on the upper end surface of the column body 31 .
According to this configuration, it is possible to restrict the downward movement of the first holding member 70 accompanying the downward movement of the inner post 22 relative to the outer post 21, for example. Thereby, the first holding member 70 can be stably held at a desired vertical position on the outer column 21 regardless of the position of the inner column 22 . As a result, it becomes easier to stably support the inner column 22 via the first holding member 70 .

In the present embodiment, a column cap 32 is provided at the upper end portion of the column body 31 to cover the restricting portion 82 from above.
According to this configuration, it is possible to restrict upward movement of the first holding member 70 accompanying upward movement of the inner post 22 relative to the outer post 21, for example. Thereby, the first holding member 70 can be stably held at a desired vertical position on the outer column 21 regardless of the position of the inner column 22 . As a result, it becomes easier to stably support the inner column 22 via the first holding member 70 .

In the present embodiment, the inner side surface 42 is configured to be inclined so that the circumferential width of the accommodating portion 36 gradually decreases as the distance from the center portion in the radial direction increases.
According to this configuration, the biasing member 81 is easily held at the radially central portion of the inner surface 42 . This facilitates radial positioning of the first ball 71 with respect to the column body 31 .

In this embodiment, the first holding member 70 and the first ball 71 are provided on the outer column 21 .
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the first holding member 70 and the first ball 71 from being exposed to the outside, regardless of the position of the inner column 22 , while ensuring the stroke of the inner column 22 .

Since the liftable furniture 1 of the present embodiment includes the support structure 11 described above, it is possible to improve stability during lifting and improve marketability.

(Other modifications)
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes in configuration are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the foregoing description, but only by the appended claims.
In the above-described embodiment, the cart device provided with the casters 17 has been described as an example of the elevating furniture 1, but the configuration is not limited to this. The lifting type furniture 1 may be configured without the casters 17 .
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the top plate 3 is employed as the load support portion has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this, and a shelf plate, a chair seat, or the like may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the first holding member 70 and the first balls 71 are provided on the outer column 21 and the second holding member 72 and the second balls 73 are provided on the inner column 22 has been described. is not limited to The first holding member 70 and the first ball 71 may be provided on the inner column 22 , and the second holding member 72 and the second ball 73 may be provided on the outer column 21 .
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the outer pillar 21 is positioned downward and the inner pillar 22 is positioned upward has been described. It may be a positional configuration.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the biasing member 81 supported on both sides is formed integrally with the base portion 80 has been described. The biasing member 81 may extend cantilevered from the base portion 80, for example. Also, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the biasing member 81 extends in the vertical direction has been described, but the biasing member 81 may extend in the circumferential direction from the base portion 80 . Furthermore, the biasing member 81 may be separate from the base portion 80 . The shape of the biasing member 81 can be appropriately changed as long as the biasing member 81 is made of a material whose elastic modulus is lower than that of the base portion 80 and allows the first ball 71 to be displaced in the circumferential direction.

In the embodiment described above, the configuration in which the biasing member 81 slides on the inner side surface 42 has been described, but the biasing member 81 may be fixed to the inner side surface 42 .
In the embodiment described above, the first ball 71 is interposed between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 via the first holding member 70, and the second ball 73 is interposed between the outer column 21 and the second holding member 72. Although the configuration interposed between the inner post 22 has been described, it is not limited to this configuration. The first ball 71 and the second ball 73 may be directly interposed between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22 .

In the above-described embodiment, the first support portion and the second support portion are balls, and the configuration in which the relative movement of the inner column 22 with respect to the outer column 21 is guided by rolling friction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The first support part and the second support part are made of a material having a smaller frictional resistance than the frictional resistance between the outer column 21 and the inner column 22, and have a structure that guides the vertical relative movement of the inner column 22 with respect to the outer column 21. , but not limited to those that roll.
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the supported portion is the ball receiving recess 60 has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this. The supported portion is not limited to a concave portion, and may be a flat surface or the like as long as it is configured to be supported (contacted) by the first support portion.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the constituent elements in the above-described embodiment with well-known constituent elements without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the modifications described above may be combined as appropriate.

1... Elevating furniture 3... Top plate (load support part)
21... Outer column (first member, second member)
22... Inner column (second member, first member)
30... Guide mechanism 31... Column body 32... Column cap 36... Housing portion 42... Inner surface 60... Ball receiving concave portion (supported portion)
70... First holding member (holding member)
71... First ball (first support portion)
73... Second ball (second support portion)
80... Base portion 81... Biasing member 82... Regulating portion 83... Holding hole (concave portion)

Claims (8)

a cylindrical outer pillar;
an inner pillar inserted into the outer pillar so as to be vertically movable relative to the outer pillar;
a guide mechanism interposed between the outer column and the inner column and guiding relative movement between the outer column and the inner column;
The guide mechanism is
Among the outer column and the inner column, it is formed in the first member, is arranged in a housing portion that opens toward the second member, and is formed on the surface of the second member facing the first member a first supporting portion that supports the second member through the supported portion so as to be vertically movable;
A biasing member that is interposed between an inner surface of the housing portion that faces in a circumferential direction around the axis of the outer column and the first support portion and that biases the first support portion in the circumferential direction. and a stanchion structure comprising: The first support portion is a ball that can roll along with the relative movement of the outer column and the inner column,
The guide mechanism includes a base portion that is accommodated in the accommodation portion and that has a recessed portion that supports each of the plurality of first support portions in a rollable manner,
The column structure according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member biases the first support through the base. The support structure according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member is formed integrally with the base portion and protrudes from the base portion in the circumferential direction. The base portion is provided with a restricting portion positioned on an edge of an opening of the accommodating portion facing one direction in the vertical direction to restrict movement of the base portion in the other direction in the vertical direction with respect to the first member. The pillar structure according to claim 2 or 3. The support structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the biasing member is supported on the inner surface so as to be slidable in a radial direction that intersects the axis in plan view. The strut structure according to claim 5, wherein the width of the inner side surface in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion gradually decreases from a central portion in a radial direction that intersects the axis in a plan view toward both sides. The post according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the guide mechanism includes a second support portion provided on the second member and supporting the first member so as to be vertically movable. structure. A support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7;
a load bearing part provided at the upper end part of the inner pillar, the upper surface of which constitutes a load bearing surface.

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